Greeting Dear Community

The images that I will share with you in this opportunity, take them during one of my visits to Maturin, Monagas state. While we were touring the city, we passed Bolivar Avenue, in which we can find this impressive monument erected on October 23, 2001, in honor of the Venezuelan independence heroine Juana Ramírez.

alt

This distinguished independence heroine from monaguense, is better known by her nickname "The Avanzadora", because she was the first woman to advance towards the enemy and attack. She was one of the first women who participated in battles of combats, commanding a unit of feminine artillery, during the wars of Venezuelan independence. Born in Guacharacas, a small town in the municipality of Chaguaramal, Maturín, Monagas state, was the daughter of Guadalupe, a slave who had been brought from Africa. Although Juana was born a slave, she was released and sheltered under the tutelage and protection of Juana Ramírez de Valderrama, who raised her and gave her last name.

alt

Juana Ramírez, was a woman of fervent patriotic passion, devoted to libertarian desires. He stood out in the Venezuelan independence movement, defending Maturín fighting in Sabana de Alto de los Godos west of Maturín, Domingo Monteverde's army, along with a battery of women integrated by María Antonia (grandmother of Eloy Palacios) and Juanita Ramírez , Marta Cumbale, Valentina Mina, Graciosa Barroso de Sifontes, Vicencia and Rosa Gómez, Dolores Betancourt Mota, Carmen Lanza and Luisa Gutiérrez, Isidora Argote, Eusebia Ramírez, Guadalupe Ramírez, Rosalía Grape, María Romero de García, Josefa Barrosos, Juana Carpio and Lorenza Morales After an intense battle, on May 25, 1813, this group of brave and brave women managed to win in the battle, freeing Maturin from the Realist Army.

alt

Although there is no accurate information on the life of “Juana La Avanzadora” in later years, some information leads to the theory that she was possibly the mother of five daughters and that she died in 1856 at the age of 67.